As Adelaide Film Festival comes to a close, On The Record reviews The Correspondent and more to provide another look at some prominent titles from this year’s line-up. (Image: McKenna Paull)
By McKenna Paull | @mechllemac
The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) continues to present the vibrant stories of Australian directors as this year’s program wraps up. From drama to horror and thriller, On The Record’s second AFF round-up has it all.
The Correspondent
The AFF’s opening night film holds a lot of promise. Kriv Stenders, one of Australia’s most successful directors, oversees the film. Lead actor Richard Roxburgh is always ready to give a quality performance as seen in Rake. The narrative, which retells the true story of Australian journalist Peter Greste’s unjust imprisonment in Cairo for reporting the news, is as timely as ever.
Unfortunately, The Correspondent does not live up to those promises.
For sure, the film depicts the unfortunate events of Greste’s imprisonment thick and fast through the film’s two hours. But it feels like Stenders never unites the film’s scenes together into a cohesive story.
Barring the mysterious opening segments, most of the film is a repetitive loop of scenes in prison, in court, in visitation with family, and then a flashback. The procedural nature of Peter Duncan’s script hampers Stenders from presenting these scenes with any energy, and only Roxburgh’s ever-reliable charisma helps in the few lighter parts.
With the lack of thrills and insight one can suspect is found in Greste’s autobiographical book, The Correspondent is an often-dull watch, even though it has an important message about the freedom of the press.
Releasing in cinemas widely on December 26, 2024.
We Bury The Dead
Australian horror writer-director Zak Hilditch, best known for his Netflix adaption of Stephen King’s 1922, returns to his homeland with this Tasmania-set zombie film. While its genre and subject matter may disinterest some, We Bury The Dead is a surprisingly sentimental film meditating on the grief that loss of loved ones brings.
Zombie fans shouldn’t be fearful either though; while the undead encounters are not as numerous as you might expect, this is made up for by their quality. The unique ways Hilditch creates tension and fear through what the zombies do and don’t do is impressive, as are the practical effects.
These horror staples are combined with quality character moments that highlight lead actress Daisy Ridley’s dramatic capacity as her character desperately searches for her husband. It is impressive how much Hilditch’s clever script explores over 90 minutes. There is an overall confidence from this production that knows exactly what it is and executes it in the “bloody” way it should.
Releasing on an unannounced date.
The Order
This historical thriller retells the true story of FBI agent Terry Husk, played by Jude Law (The Talented Mr Ripley, Sherlock Holmes), tracking down the titular white supremacist terrorist group in Idaho. South Australian-born Justin Kurzel helms the film using his previous experience in dramatising other tragedies, including the Snowtown murders and the Port Arthur massacre in Nitram.
Much of the action in The Order, including interrogations, heists and murders, is presented with an objective, almost documentary-like framing. It may feel appropriate for the serious subject matter, but it removes some of the emotion that is needed to drive the story. This is especially the case as many of the characters are simply tired archetypes like the misunderstood genius and the overlooked cop.
The Order still has a few scenes that really pop and get the audience invested. However, the film’s biggest shortcoming might be that it has little to add to what other films have already commented on about white supremacy in America. Its overreliance on pre-existing conceptions of this important message results in the film leaving you with very little to chew on.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video on an unannounced date.
Stay tuned next week for On The Record’s two full film reviews, which will complete this year’s AFF coverage.
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